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The Perseids meteor shower will reach its peak Friday and Saturday with its usual show of shooting stars. Moon will compete
with Perseids’ peak show
this weekendThe shooting stars can be seen best
early Saturday morning,
out of the cityStar-Bulletin staff
But the moon will be nearly full and its bright light will interfere with meteor watching, said Mike Shanahan, Bishop Museum Planetarium manager.
"Still, you should be able to see a shooting star every few minutes, so it's definitely worth the trip away from bright city lights," Shanahan said.
The Perseid shower is named for its source -- the constellation of Perseus, which rises in the northwest soon after midnight in mid-August.
The Perseids season runs from July 23 through Aug. 22, with from four to 200 meteors visible.
Although the shower seems to come from the constellation, shooting stars may be seen anywhere in the sky during a meteor shower, Shanahan said.
Shooting stars actually aren't stars but bits of space debris, no bigger than a pea, that burn up when they hit the Earth's atmosphere, Shanahan explained.
The best viewing time, if weather conditions permit, will be from 3 a.m. to 4:45 a.m. on Saturday since the moon doesn't go down until 3 a.m.
Most Perseid meteors will be high in the sky or slightly off to the northeast, Shanahan said, advising meteor-watchers to take a reclining lawn chair so they can watch the sky comfortably.